rubys80•9d agoMost Upvoted

My backpacking stove failed at 10,000 feet on the Wind River High Route

I was out near Big Sandy Lake in Wyoming last month when my canister stove just wouldn't light. The valve started hissing weird and then stopped flowing gas completely. I ended up having to boil water by building a small fire with wet birch bark and dead twigs. Took me 45 minutes just to get a cup of tea going. Anyone else had a stove die on them mid trip and had to go full primitive?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary7d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that sounds like a rough day! I've been there too, except mine died at 8,000 feet in the Sierras and I ended up eating cold ramen for three days straight. @felix_williams71 probably nailed it with the vaporization issue - those little canisters just can't keep up when the temp drops and the altitude hits. I tried warming mine in my armpit for a solid 15 minutes and it still spat out more frustration than flame. Building that fire with wet birch bark must have been a real test of patience, but at least you got a hot cup out of it in the end.

james_campbell129d ago

Were you using one of those little screw-on isobutane cans that seem to freeze up in cold weather? I've heard that's a common issue at elevation when the canister pressure drops below what the regulator needs to work. Did you try warming the canister against your body or putting it in your sleeping bag for a while before giving up on it?

felix_williams719d ago

Oh nah, you're close but it's actually the opposite in a way. The isobutane cans work ok in cold if they're the right blend, but the real issue is the liquid gas can't vaporize fast enough at low temps. Yeah I tried warming it against my jacket for 20 minutes and it still coughed out more than it burned, so I just packed it up and made cold dinner that night lol.